Canadian citizen Jasmine Mooney had been travelling between her home country and the US on a work visa for years without issue – but a few weeks ago, she was detained by US border authorities after attempting to renew her documentation at the US-Mexico border. During a 12-day ordeal, she says she was held in cold and crowded jail cells and even put in chains at points.
Mooney is just one of several people who have attempted to travel to the US recently who have faced challenges at the border, including a researcher who French officials say was denied entry after his phone was searched and immigration officers found messages that were critical of the Trump administration.
Following these incidents, Canada and several European countries have issued travel advisories for the US. While most of the government warnings don’t specify why they were added, the timing points to the Trump administration's executive orders regarding immigration and the tightening of border policies.
“The whole purpose is to stop illegal immigration,” Larry Yu, professor of hospitality management at The George Washington University's School of Business, tells Condé Nast Traveler US. “But then the executive orders are also tied to other issues like transgender identification, so it actually adds quite a bit of confusion, uncertainty, and concern for the US travel industry.”
Many of the European countries that have issued US travel warnings have flagged the White House’s executive order that states “it is the policy of the United States to recognize two sexes, male and female,” potentially causing issues for transgender travelers with self-identified or “X” gender markers on their passports.
The recent uptick in travel warnings could have a major impact on US tourism, according to Yu, as several of the advisories were issued by countries that are top drivers of inbound travel to the US, including Canada, the UK, and Germany.
“The image the US has always projected is that we’re welcoming and diverse," Yu says. “This will clearly make people think about how they see the US. I hope it won’t erode their confidence in traveling to the US, but it may affect certain demographics.”
International travel advisories for the US are not entirely new; however, most posted in recent years have been in regard to gun violence. Uruguay and Japan both issued alerts to its citizens in wake of the Dayton, Ohio, shooting in 2019. Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs currently lists gun crime as a “major public safety concern in the US,” including safety advice and statistics on the most common locations and timings of shootings. Japan also warns about the high number of hate crimes in the US based on race, sexual orientation, and religion.
Australia-based small-group adventure travel company Intrepid Travel has already started to see “some softening in demand for the US, in particular from Europe,” according to its CEO James Thornton, who notes that US domestic travel (travel by Americans in America) is down by 27 per cent and travel to the US from Europe, the Middle East, and Africa is down by 12.8 per cent compared to last year.
“This could be due to a number of factors, including the strength of the US dollar, but we believe that the US administration’s polarising approach is definitely having an impact," he says.
Intrepid has also seen a slight dip in US inbound travel from Australia and New Zealand. However, Thornton says “the US remains a highly desirable travel destination" and notes that most of its current bookings were made about six months prior to the current administration.
Rachel Kingswell, general manager of Travel Associates Australia and New Zealand, says the US is still one of its top global destinations, spurred by the desire to visit iconic cities like New York, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Miami. Destinations including Montana, the Rocky Mountains, and New England are actually on the rise, she adds.
Whether or not the recent uptick in travel warnings to the US will cause a significant impact on tourism is still to be seen. Below, we've rounded up the countries that have issued or updated advisories to their citizens regarding US travel so far.
Which countries have issued travel warnings against the US?
France
France joined other European nations issuing a warning the evening of Monday 24 March 2025 by revising its foreign ministry’s travel advice. Citizens heading to the US are now “strongly recommended” to consult the embassy site and their airlines to “check for any changes or new measures adopted.”
Specifically, it notes that those applying for a new visa or Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) should be aware of the US presidential decree made on 20 January, that requires “the indication of ‘sex at birth.’" Transgender citizens are advised to check the State Department's online FAQ or e-mail American consular authorities in France at ParisVisaInquiry@state.gov before travel.
Canada
With 20.4 million visits from Canada in 2024, the US' northern neighbour is its top driver of international visitors, generating $20.5 billion in spending. Starting on April 11, 2025, Canadians staying in the US for longer than 30 days will be required to register with the US government.
The Canadian government has added information to its US travel guidance on the new entry and exit rules, cautioning that failure to register via a I-94 form or the new Form G-325R on the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) site “could result in penalties, fines, and misdemeanor prosecution.”
“This is interesting because there has been this immigration rule for citizens of other countries, but in the Canadian case was never really rigorously or strictly enforced,” Yu says. “Now the Canadian government is saying, make sure you follow the rules.”
Yu notes there is still “some uncertainty and concerns” regarding the new process as the digital immigration portal rolls out (at the time of publication, a technical support banner is the first thing on the myUSCIS site).
Denmark
While no Danish citizens have been detained, the Scandinavian country warned transgender travellers on March 20 to take caution while travelling to the US. “Even though there’s no precedent, the current administration has changed registrations specifying there are two genders, and that’s a clear concern for the transgender community,” Yu says.
Germany
Germany first updated its US travel advisory on March 19 to note that visa and entry waivers don’t guarantee entry, after several of its citizens were detained. Germany's foreign office also added updates regarding gender identification, stating “travelers to the USA must state either ‘male’ or ‘female’ on ESTA or visa applications” and that those with an “X” gender marker or whose gender is different than that assigned at birth should consult with the US diplomatic mission in Germany before crossing the border.
Finland
The Nordic nation updated its US travel advisory on 14 March, warning its citizens that if their passports have a different gender marker than that assigned at birth that “US authorities may refuse entry.”
United Kingdom
The UK has recently updated its US travel advisory for British travellers bound for America with stricter wording: While in February, it stated, “the authorities in the US set and enforce entry rules,” the language was changed in March to say those rules are enforced “strictly.”
“They’re basically telling people to double-check the requirements because it’s very difficult to pinpoint any specifics right now,” Yu says, citing the examples of European travellers, including a UK national, being detained at the border in recent weeks. “It’s a very general advisory: Do your homework and if you aren’t sure, check with the US embassy."
This article was originally published on Condé Nast Traveler.